Rivals100 defensive tackle Jared Odrick announced that he will play his college football at Penn State on Monday.

"I really like the honesty the coaches showed me," he said. "I called coach Paterno about 15 minutes ago and let him know."

The 6-foot-5, 303-pounder chose the Nittany Lions over Georgia. Odrick, the nation's No. 29 overall prospect, made official visits to Virginia, Virginia Tech and Florida in addition to Athens and State College.

Penn State's 10-1 record and Big Ten title played a factor.

"Their success played a role in my decision," he said. "If they hadn't gone 10-1, I don't know if I would have gone there."

Odrick is Penn State's 12th verbal commitment for the class of 2006. He also is the sixth commitment for Nittany Lions defensive line coach and ace recruiter Larry Johnson.